since his re-election mr. obama has fueled a campaign-style effort to pressure republicans to give ground on taxes. that's fine, but it won't be enough. at some point he has to prepare the american people and his own supporters most of all for the hard decisions required to put the country on a sound financial footing. that means spending cuts. it means entitlement reform and a balanced solution that will please neither house speaker john a. boehner nor senator majority leader harry reid. in a position to make it happen. >> i think that's right. when the time comes, if we get to the time where a grand bargain of, you know, big deal that would take care of the nation's fiscal challenges for the next 10 or 20 or 30 year, the president will have to be the one who lays it all out and he's argued for a balanced approach, has offered, you know, $3 in spending cuts to every $1 in tax increases. what he campaigned on. he's in a good position to make that case. not -- the moment is not right exactly right now but i thi